Baby-carriage gear



" Y A 1643,910 Sept. `27, 1927. G. STINSON l BABY CARRIAGE GEAR Filed April 8, 1925 6 A l .la

j v 62 n :ii: l /5 J0 v 77' 7 Q fjWT- j 6 lll I-l v d J- Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

mrs rrr or rice...-

enone'n'srmsoi, or GARDNER, rrassnennfsn'r'gs essrenon' To' irEY'wooD-wain l FIELD GUMP'AY', or Bestron, Aoortronnrronfor' ivrassA'CHU/-` BABY-'CARRIAGE enen? Application" led April4 85, i Serial N or' 213-584.v v

The present invention relates fto'baby cari-v riages; and has particular reference to the' brake mechanism for the running gear?.

My invention contemplates ani-improved l A', 5 brakeniechanism' comprising aset or parts so constructed as to be applicable Ytobaby carriages ofseveral types, dueto the fact thatF tliemecha'nism can' be readily adjustedv fr`A vari-ationsin vthe-'distance' between tne'Y a'Xlesfadf-br'akef bars on carriages off differL entproportions'f TheE above andfother@ advantageous featurestoff'm'y invention-will hereinafter more fully appear, reference'beinghad tothe ac;

com'panying' drawings, in which'- y Fig. 1 isv aview inside elevationfof a baby carriageembodying my invention,a'-

portion'A ofthe" body or'kbasketl being 1 broken away. 2u

showing' portionsy of Vthe brake mechanism r ze on an enlarged scale. Y

Like" reference characters? referto like parts Ain the diffe-rent fiigures.

Referring 'rst to-"FigsY 1a-nd2,the1run4 ning gear' ofttheY carriage-generally* coni-v I f; when the running igeafr; has been completely.'

aX'le 3, upon which are mountedpa'irsl ofwheelsland 5, respectively As-"bestshownin`-'Fig. 1, the members 1.- extendfupwa'rdlyj and rearwardly to provide handle portions lEL for the carriage, andthe'members'1 also servelt'supp'ortasetiof springs 6, upon which is built the reversing gear for the body 7 of the carriage.

As best shown in Fig. 2, a brake bar 8 is secured near its ends to the frame members 1, 1, the brake bar 8 being preferably of flat metal, so that its end portions 8a may be flexed into engagement with the treads of the Wheels 4 when the middle portion of the bar 8 is flexed, as indicated in dotted lines. For the purpose of flexing the bar 8, a foot pedal 9 is pivotally mounted on the rear aXle 3, and a link or wire 10 eX- 50 tends therefrom to the brake bar 8. When the brake bar 8 is not applied to the wheels 4, the link 10 is disposed aboveethe pivot 11 of the pedal 9, but when the pedal 9 is depressed, the link 10 is thrown below F ig.' 2 is plan view ofV thel parts` sho-wn in Fig'. 1, withthef body removed-from its' `distances from the br'ake member 8.

the pivot- 11 ,thereby lockingtlie brake bar in itsieXed-conditioni, withfthe portions 8fnl applied to the treads of the wheels 4.

Y It is-evident froman inspection Vof Figs. 1 and2fthat the distance between the brake bar 8 andthe rear a-Xle' 3-will var-y for car riages lof diiferentproportions, andy as' previously pointed-out, itA is one of-theobjects e-f the` present invention to provide an im'- proved` brake mechanism comprisingaf-se't of' partssol constructed as tov4 be appliea'ble-T to baby carriages of different types.A Toa this end,l thereV isprovided a v,Connector 12?V between the brake bar 8 and the foot' pedal 9, the connector- 12 being provided with a number off holes 13 forrecei-vingthe endof the link-'1Q extending fronr thef footpeda-l 9, at different distances from the brakebar 8.1

As best shown-in Fig; 3, the connector'12 is provided with af head lill-having a slot 15 therein for receiving the brake ba1'f"'8,`y and the vbrake bar 8' is provyidedwithj a-noifset portion 16 which serves topositionA the connector 12nsubst`antially midway be* tween' the points of Vattachment of the-"brake bar S' to theI frame members 1.V 'llhenconv nector 12 is preferably receivedl onf-the brak\ bar 8 before the vlatter is permanent-ly attachedAv to the framemembers l, so-V that' asembled-'with they wheels, it is a compara--V to-theconnector 12to seoure'the-` proper adv justlnent of the brake member 81with' respect f to; theA wheels 4.-

As previouslyI pointed out, the connectorv l2is`providedawith lholes v13% which are pref erably arranged in' staggered relation in two or more rows, so that the end of the link 10 may be received in the connector 12 at a relatively large number of points at different In finally adjusting the brakeA for a carriage of a given type, the bent over end of the link 10 is inserted in that particular hole of the connector12 in which the pedal 9 will be maintained in a substantially horizontal position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, without placing, the brake 8 under any appreciable tension, such as would cause its end portions 8a to engage the treads of the wheels 4. In other words, the adjustment of the brake for any given carriage is such that normally the parts are more or less lil() free, but as soon as the pedal 9 is depressed to throw the attached end of the link 10 to the right and below the pivot 11, the brake bar 8 will be iiexed at its middle, as shown, and will be locked in this iiexed position with its end portions 8n firmly in engagement with the treads of the wheels 4.

It is obvious that the wide range of adjustment aforded by the connector 12 permits the application of the parts of my improved'brake mechanism to many different types of carriages7 in which the distances between the rear axles and the brake bars may vary through a range of two or three inches. In manufacturing such a line of carriages, the brake bars are all made the same, and prior to the attachment of each brake bar to its carriage, a connector 12 is placed on the bar, which connector is adapted to be automatically centered on the bar by the offset portion 16. vThe brake bars 8 and the connectors 12 being identical, no selection of these vparts is necessary in the assembling of carriages, and the same holds true for the foot pedals 9. Consequently, when a large 'number of carriages of different types, or proportions, have been completely assembled with wheels attached, it is only necessary to connect the link 10 of each carriage for the proper setting ot the brake bar. In this way, the adjustment of the brakes for different carriages is rendered independent of the assembly of the parts, and furthermore, the number of diilerent parts necessary for different styles of carriages is reduced by the standardization of the parts ot' the brake mechanism. Y

When the treads of the front wheels 4 have worn to a considerable extent, it may be found that the original setting of the brake will not give suiiicient pressure on the wheels, in which case it is an easy matter for the user of the carriage to shift the end of the link 10 one or more holes 13 in the direction of the brake bar, which has the etfect of shortening the link. In making suchad justments, the link 10 is prevented from nector 12 by reason of the Jfact that it passes through a slot 17 provided in the turnedover end portion 18 of the connector 12.

Furthermore, any such adjustment by the user of the carriage is rendered easy by the :tact that the connector 12 is automatically positioned at substantially the middle of the brake bar 8. by the offset portion 16. The relatively loose connection between the head 14 of the connector 12 and the brake bar 8 permits or' ready adjustment of the parts, and furthermore, does not weaken thebrake bar 8 in any way as, for example, by punchingy a hole therein for receiving the link.

I claim: Y

1. In a brake mechanism for baby carriages, a brake bar attached to the frame of the carriage, an operating pedal connected to` an axle ofV the carriage, a connectorV loosely embracing an offset portion of said brake bar, and a rod extending from said pedal with its end receivable in spaced openings in said connector. Y

2. In a brake mechanism for baby carriages, a brake bar attached to the'frame of the carriage, an operating pedal connected to an axle of lthe carriage, a connector, a right angle bend 'in said connector, a slot in saidV right angle bend, and a rod attachedto said pedal, passing through said slotk and receivable in one of a plurality of holes in .said connector, said slot allowing adjustment of said rod in said connector without disassembling of parts. Y y y 3. In ja brake mechanism for baby carriages, a brake bar attached to the frame of the carriage, an operating pedal attached to an axle of the carriage, a rod attached to said pedal, and a connector having a plurality of rows of holes in staggered relation, whereby said rod may ybe adjustably attached to said connector ywith an adjustment closer thanthat provided by the distance from one hole to another. f

Dated this third day of April, 1925.

GEORGE STINSON. i 

